Adding-machine.



PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

A. J. POSTANS.

ADDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 4,1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

inventor: m y. w;

No. 786,839. PATENTED APR. 11, 1905. A. J. POSTANS.

ADDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4.1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

A. J. POSTANS.

ADDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,1903.

3 BHEETS-SHEET 3.

mviwron H (734.1; Wham/I,

UNITED STATES J'Patented April 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,839, dated April11, 1905.

Application filed June 4, 1903. Serial No. 160,048.

T 0 It 1072 0777, it Tart concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR James POS'IANS, engineer, a citizen ofEngland, residing at 155 Fulham road,South Kensington, in the county ofLondon, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdding-Machines, (for which 1 have applied for a patent in GreatBritain, No. 24,868, dated Novem her 12, 1902,) of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an adding-machine in whichthe depression ofkeys having on them the index-numbers moves a series of drums in such away that the number formed by the juxtaposition of numerals on theirperipheries and appearing through an opening in the casing is increasedto the extent of the number appearing on the key that has beendepressed.

The accompanying drawings show a machine constructed according to thisinvention, in which Figure 1 is a plan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig.3, a plan with the cover removed; Fig. 4:, a section on the line 4 4c ofFig. 3, and Fig. 5 a detail view, Figs. 3, 4, and 5 being drawn to anenlarged scale.

a is a base-plate, having two sides 6 and a back 6 and two series ofpedestals c 0 arranged toward the front. On the axle (Z, supported bythe sides Z), is arranged a series of drums of which three are shown,although there may be a larger number, having numbers printed on theirperipheries in consecutive order, the right-hand drum 1 representingunits in the completed number, the second drum 2 tens, the third drum 3hundreds, and so on. WVhen the cover a is placed over the apparatus,only the one figure of each drum can be seen through the openingf. Theunits-drum is operated by atoothed segment 1, engaging with a toothedpinion 70, mounted to revolve freely on the axle (Z, and to this pinionis attached a lever '21, carrying a springpawl 7', engaging aratchet-wheel 7:, fixed to theunits-drum 1. This rocking lever alsocarriers a projection Z, which butts against the hollowed end of aspring-detent m, pressing it into the teeth of a toothed pinion Kr, soas to stop the motion of the mechanism, and consequently of theunits-drum,as soon as the pro jection 1 comes against the detent m.

The drum is prevented from turning in the backward direction by aspring-detent 16, engaging the teeth of the pinion 71;. The toothedsegment 1 constitutes one arm of a threearmed lever, which is mounted ona shaft (1, supported in the sides I. The second arm a of the lever hasa cross-arm extending above and below at an angle from it in the form ofa T, to the extreme ends of which are connected two stepped bars 7),which are connected at their other ends to a similar T-ended lever 91,mounted at the other end of the shaft 0. The toothed segment its leversnn/z", and bars 7) are brought back into their normal position by aspring 0, attached to the third arm n of the lever and to the back 7/ ofthe apparatus.

The bars 11, which are stepped, as shown, rest on a series of levers s,hooked at their inner ends and mounted on spindles r, supported in thepedestals r; c, the outer ends of each of which levers are formed asfinger-keys 5, having index-numbers marked thereon and arranged in tworows, one above the other, as shown. The hooked ends ol the levers s aremade of varying lengths, proportionate to the index-numbers marked onthe keys, and by their action on the stepped bars 7) they cause thetoothed segment 1 to travel through a smaller or greater arc, accordingas to whether the key marked with a l or a key marked with a highernumber is depressed. These levers are brought to their normal positionby springs w w, connected to eyes m it, formed in the levers andattached to bars 13 and 14, fixed to the sides 5 and extending acrossthe machine. By arranging the levers .5- in two rows and the bars p instepped form and making the lower row of levers which have to give thelonger travel to the segment 9 engage the bars p at a greater distancefrom the axis than the upper levers the amount of travel of thefinger-keys necessary to give the desired impulse to theiinlicating-drums is compensated, thus rendering the stroke of all thelinger-keys equal.

The carrying over from one drum to the next can be effected in any knownmanner; but, as shown in Fig. 5, the drums 1 and 2 are each providedwith a snail-cam 8, on the edge of which bears a pin 9, projecting froma lever 10, mounted on the bar 11 and carrying at its extreme end a pawl15, engaging with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 12, one of which is fixedto each of the drums 2 and 3. As the cam 8 revolves it gradually raisesthe lever 10, and consequently its pawl 15, in opposition to a spring15until the pawl engages the next teeth of the wheel 12, when the pin 9,having arrived at the highest point of the cam 8, suddenly drops inobedience to the strain of the spring 15, causing the drum to move onedivision, its further movement be ing prevented by a stop 10*, carriedby the lever 10, bearing against a tooth of the wheel 12.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The finger-key marked withthe number which is to be added being depressed causes the hooked end ofthe lever s to rise, and this acting on one of the bars p and therocking levers oz 71/ causes the segment r to travel through an arc thelength of which is dependent on the number depressed. This movement ofthe segment 9 turns the pinion 72/ and with it the lever '11 and itspawl j, which travels over a number of teeth of the ratchet-wheel 7corresponding with the number on the finger-key which has beendepressed. On releasing the finger-key the spring 0) acting on thethree-armed lever causes the segment 7 to return to its normal position,thereby moving the pinion it, its lever 2 and pawl 7' in the reversedirection. turns the pinion in, causingthe units-drum 1 to travel roundthe number of spaces represented by the number on the key depressed, theother drums being caused to revolve in their turn by the carrying-overgearing. The eX- tent of movement of the segment is determined and itsoverrunning prevented by the hooks at the inner ends of the levers s,which lock the segment at the end of its stroke. Themovement of theunits-drum is also determined and its overrunning prevented by theprojection Z butting against the detent m at the end of its stroke andpressing m into one of the teeth of the pinion 7.1, thus preventing thedrum registering more than the number represented by the key depressed.

In order to return the indicating-drums to their zero position to enablea fresh addition to be made, the axle (J has fixed on one end ahand-wheel 5, and on the other end is mounted a spring 6 to keep thishand-w heel in its locked position, which is done by a stud 17 enteringa hole in the side (1. The wheel 5 is also locked by a catch 7, formedat the end of a spring-lever 20, fixed to a collar 21, attached to theshaft 0, on which the rocking segment g is free to move and on whichthere is a rocking lever g, which raises the bars 7) slightly.

It will be seen from Fig. at that the pawl m is only kept in engagementwith the pinion Z1 by the pressure of pin 1, which is carried by Indoing this the pawl y' the lever 2', attached to the pinion it. When thelever 20, Fig. 2, is moved to the left to disengage catch 7, the shaft11, to which the lever 20 is fixed, is rocked sullieiently to cause thelever q, Fig. 3, also fixed to the shaft (1, to lift the lever a andthrough the bars the arm a. The quadrant is thus rocked a little to theright and the lever 2' correspondingly to the left, releasing thepressure of pin on pawl m, which being normally spring-pressed towardthe stop m is therefore raised by its spring and disengaged from thepinion b.

By pressing the axle (Z against the pressure of spring 6 the stud 17 isreleased from its hole. If now the catch 7 be pressed outward, the wheel5 can be turned and at the same time the segment is rocked slightly bythe movement of the lever q,disengaging the pawl m and allowing theunits-drum to be moved. In that radius of each indicating-d rum whichterminates with zero is a pin 18, projecting from the drum or its snailparallel with the axle cl. This axle carries three corresponding pins19, projecting through longitudinal slots in collars surrounding theaxle (I. hen the shaft is pressed to release the handlewheel 5, the pins19 come into line with the pins 18, and when the axle (Z is rotated theyengage with each other, and thus cause the indicating-drums to revolveuntil all the drums are brought into the zero-line when the stud 17,coming opposite its hole in the side I), is drawn in by the pressure ofthe spring 6. At the same time the catch 7 again takes into its slot inthe hand-wheel and the units-drum is once more looked, all the drumsshowing zero in the opening of the casing.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and in what mannerthe same is to be performed, I claim-- 1. An adding-machine com prisinga number of key-levers each of different effective length, a bar liftedby each lever when the latter is depressed, a hook on the end of eachlever to engage the bar and thus determine the levers stroke, aunits-drum and mechanism for causing the movement of the bar todetermine the rotation of the drum through an angle corresponding withthe extent of the said movement; substantially as described.

2. An adding-machine comprising a number of key-levers each of differenteffective length, a stepped bar with a separate step of which each leverengages a hook at the end of each lever to engage the bar and thusdetermine the levers stroke, a units-drum and mechanism for causing themovement of the bar to determine the rotation of the drum through anangle corresponding with the extent of the said movement; substantiallyas described.

3. An adding-machine comprising a number of key-levers each of differenteffective length, a stepped bar with a separate step of which each leverengages, a hook at the end of each lever to engage the bar and thusdetermine the levers stroke, a units-drum, a rocking lever connectedwith the said bar, a toothed segment carried by the said rocking lever,a pinion on the shaft of the drum gearing with the said segment, alever-arm fixed to the said pinion, a pawl carried by the said lever-armand adapted to engage with a ratchet fixed to the said units-drum, aprojection on the said lever-arm, a spring-detent on which the said stoppresses to force it into engagement with a toothed wheel on theunits-drum and a spring adapted to return the said rocking lever to itsnormal position when the key-lever has been released; substantially asdescribed.

t. Anadding-machinecomprisinganumber of key-levers each of differenteffective length, a stepped bar With a separate step of which each leverengages, a hook at the end of each lever to engage the bar, a series ofdrums each mounted free on a spring-urged shaft, mechanism for causingthe movement of the bar to determine the rotation of the units-drum ofthe said series, collars on the said shaft, a

hand-wheel on one end of the said shaft, a device normally locking thesaid wheel to the frame of the machine, pins at suitable distances apartprojecting through slots in the said collars and a pin projecting fromeach drum in such a manner that when the said shaft is pressed againstthe spring-pressure to free the said hand-wheel and the latter isrotated, the said pins on the shaft engage with those on the drums;substantially as described.

5. An adding-machine comprising a number of key-levers each of differenteffective length, a stepped bar with a separate step of which each leverengages, a hook at the end of each lever to engage the bar, a series ofdrums each mounted free on a springurged shaft, mechanism for causingthe movement of the bar to determine the rotation of the units-drum ofthe said series, collars on the said shaft, a hand-wheel on one end ofthe said shaft, a device normally locking the said wheel to the frame ofthe machine, pins at suitable distances apart projecting through slotsin the said collars, a pin projecting from each drum in such a mannerthat when the said shaft is pressed against the spring-pressure to freethe said hand-wheel and the latter is rotated, the said pins on theshaft engage with those on the drums, and a spring-lever engaging in thesaid hand-wheel and adapted to unlock the unitsdrum; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR J AMES POSTANS. Witnesses:

EDWARD GARDNER, W. M. HARRIS.

